too hot for turkeys?

[justanotheramy]

What's "too hot" for a turkey?
(no oven jokes, please, as this is a pet I'm asking about!)

Today was only in the mid 20s (that's in centegrade; = around 80°F) and my Rhonda was a very uncomfortable turkey (beak wide open and panting, even when sitting in the shade), so I'm getting a bit worried about how she's going to cope with 40+°C (above 100°F) days once summer hits.
Anyone have any experience keeping turkeys in warmer climes?

 

[thaiturkey]

Quote:
He'll cope! Daytime here is almost always over 30C and 35C-40C is common. Ours go for shade and pant away for a few hours until it cools dawn. We enjoy that quiet tie very much!

Make sure that he has water at hand in the shade where he rests. Some people provide a paddling pool so that their turkeys can cool their feet.

On the other hand, if ...... OK, sorry, no oven jokes.

 

[pdpatch]

Here it can get to 100F in the summer with 50 to 80 % humidity, make sure they have plenty of water, an area with a breeze, shade from the direct sun, you can also mist cool water over them. I agree that at about 80 F turkeys start to get unconformable.

 

[ziggywiggy]

I live in southern Arizona and durring the summer we have days that are constantly above 100 degrees. Just make sure they have plenty fresh water and lots of shade.

 

[boxermom]

Mine will stand in water and will stand in front of the fan. Lots of water and moving air. Your turkey will do fine.

 

[kuntrygirl]

I live in South Louisiana and temps reached OVER 100 this past summer. My turkeys did just fine. I have kiddie pools for my ducks and geese and the turkeys stand in the pools to cool off. I also have plenty of shade for them to go under to get out of the sun. Your turkeys will be fine. If mine have been surviving for all of these years, then I know that yours will do just fine.

 

[Dar]

I dont have experience with turkeys... BUT this summer i had the cooler packs with the blue liquid in it.. kinda like a gel substance... well i figured since i never use them for the cooler i would freeze them and place them in a towel (I used a tattered old beach towel) and made cooling pads for the chickens when the days got really hot. The chickens sat on them with no problem .. I used the towels to prevent direct contact with their skin.

 

[thaiturkey]

Quote:
Great idea! I have some of those. Perhaps I'll use them myself!

 

[Dar]

at the end of the summer i just put the cooler packs in the dishwasher and used a rinse cycle with a little bleach and they are set for next year now.

what I would change next year... i think i will put them in a box and put a thin layer of wood chips instead of the towel because the towel got nasty stinky. so i will use a box and make it bigger so more then one chicken can get in there at a time

edited for clarity...lol

 

[justanotheramy]

Quote:
on my first reading I totally missed the two replies before this that put it into context, and it took me a few seconds to realise that you weren't talking about putting turkeys in the dishwasher!